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If you’re a spiced cookie fan like me, these Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies flavored with molasses and chocolate should be on your baking list. The best part is that they require no chill time, bake in about 12 minutes, and make a great addition to your holiday cookie box.
I really love a chewy strong flavored ginger cookie. This recipe was originally created in 2018, resulting in a slightly softer and thicker cookie. I wasn’t happy with the cakiness, so I adjusted the sugar and egg amount to be more in line with my Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies, creating a crave worthy chocolate version. The addition of molasses and dutch cocoa gives a chewy cookie with a beautiful crinkly top, crunchy edge and soft center.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- All-Purpose Flour (10.5–11% protein) gives the cookies a tender structure and helps balance the richness of the chocolate and molasses.
- Test Note: Sifting ensures a light, even crumb that blends smoothly with the cocoa.
- Warm Spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) create a deeply aromatic base that blends with molasses to create that cozy gingerbread flavor.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder intensifies the chocolate flavor and gives the cookies their rich, brown color.
- Test Note: I prefer to use Cacao Barry, Valrhona or Guittard cocoa for a deep, smooth chocolate flavor.
- Dry Milk Powder (*optional): Adding a bit of milk fat with dry milk powder, increases chewiness, improves overall flavor, and creates a nice outer crust.
- Test Note: You can find full fat dry milk powder in the baking aisle or canned milk areas of a grocery store.
- Unsalted Butter adds flavor and tenderness.
- Test Note: I use European butter with 82% butterfat.
- Dark Brown Sugar brings gentle molasses sweetness and moisture to the dough, enhancing chewiness without overpowering the spices or chocolate.
- Unsulphured Molasses deepens the cookie’s flavor with notes of caramel and toffee, pairing beautifully with the cocoa and ginger.
- Test Note: Grandma’s Original Molasses is my preferred choice for its balanced sweetness. If unavailable, combine a mixture half honey and half blackstrap molasses for a similar flavor.
How to Make Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
- Prep oven and pans: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted flour, cocoa powder, leaveners, salt, and warm spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: Cream softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. About 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing
- Add molasses and eggs: Mix in the molasses on medium speed, followed by the egg until the mixture is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed at first, then increasing to medium until a soft cookie dough forms. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no dry pockets remain.
- Scoop: Using a #16 large cookie scoop, portion out the dough into 13 balls. Each ball should way about 60 grams.
- Sugar Coating: Roll each cookie ball in sugar then place onto the prepared baking sheets. Space them about 3-inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Place cookies on the lined baking sheets. Space them about 3-inches apart to allow for spreading. I usually bake 3-4 cookies at a time.
- Bake and cool: Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the cookies have flattened, starting to show cracks and the edges are just set . The centers may still be slightly puffy and soft, but will deflate as they cool. Allow cookies to sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt chopped dark chocolate in a bowl small and deep enough to dip the cookies. Dip cooled cookies halfway into the melted chocolate.
- Place the chocolate dipped cookies on parchment paper to set. To speed things up, I’ll place a tray in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm the chocolate, then remove.
Jenn’s Tips!
- Check your spices for freshness. Ground spices lose their punch over time. If your cinnamon or ginger smells faint, it’s time to replace them. Fresh spices make a huge difference in flavor.
- Soften butter correctly. It should be pliable but cool to the touch, not glossy or melted. Properly softened butter creams more evenly with the sugar, creating that light, chewy texture.
- Cream butter and sugar long enough. Creaming takes 2-3 minutes incorporate air into the dough, giving cookies a slightly lifted texture and preventing dense centers.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies should look just set and puffed with soft centers when they come out. They’ll continue to firm as they cool, keeping that chewy texture.
Storage & Leftovers
- Room Temp: Place cookies in an airtight container for a 5-7 days of freshness at room temperature.
- Freeze: Wrap cookies individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Large chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies made with molasses, dark cocoa, brown sugar, and warming spices. No chilling required, these cookies bake in 12 minutes and are a perfect addition to your holiday cookie boxes.
Click for Ingredient Details
Weigh your flour: The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
OLD VERSION: This recipe is an updated version of a thicker cookie from 2018 with more of a cake like texture. If you loved the old version, the difference is only one egg and a little sugar. Ingredients listed below and follow the same instructions as above. 2018 Thicker Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients:
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour, 10.5-11% protein, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 30 grams (⅓ cup) dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon dry milk powder, *optional
- 170 grams (¾ cup) unsalted butter (European style with 82% butterfat), softened
- 165 grams (¾ cup) light or dark brown sugar
- 100 grams (½ cup ) granulated sugar
- 85 grams (¼ cup) unsulphured molasses, *not blackstrap
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 50 grams (1 large) egg, room temperature
Sugar Coating
- 67 grams (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
Dark Chocolate Dip
- 200 grams (7 ounces) 70% dark chocolate bar, chopped and melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Line two cookies sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.250 grams all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 30 grams dutch processed cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 tablespoon dry milk powder
- In bowl of stand mixer or large bowl with electric hand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, using paddle attachment at medium high speed to form a fluffy paste. About 2-3 minutes.170 grams unsalted butter (European style with 82% butterfat), 165 grams light or dark brown sugar, 100 grams granulated sugar
- Scrape sides and bottom of mixer bowl with spatula and again as needed.
- Mix in the molasses and vanilla completely followed by the egg until well combined. The mixture will be lighter grown and fluffy.85 grams unsulphured molasses, 50 grams egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- Add in half of the dry mixture at a time continuing on medium-low speed until a cookie dough is formed. Scrape the bowl again to make sure any dry ingredients at the bottom are mixed in. The dough will be thick and tacky.
- Scoop cookie dough using a #16 cookie scoop into 60 grams sized balls. Gently roll each ball in granulated sugar. I don't roll or pack the dough in my hands, just a ball straight from the cookie scoop.67 grams granulated sugar
- Space the dough balls about 3-4 inches apart on lined baking sheets. I bake 3-4 cookies at a time, since they will spread some on the tray.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for 12-13 minutes until the cookies have mostly flattened but the centers still look puffy and cracks are starting to form. The edges should be set and the centers will flatten as they cool.
- These cookies should bake pretty uniform and round, but if you happen to have one that is slightly misshapen just give a cookie scoot with a round biscuit cutter or cup that's slightly larger, moving in a circular motion around the warm cookie.
- Set pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before carefully transferring cookies directly onto the wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Baked cookies should be 3.5 to 4-inches wide.
Dark Chocolate Dip
- Chop the dark chocolate bar and place in a microwave safe medium bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted.200 grams 70% dark chocolate bar
- Dip a cooled cookie halfway into the melted dark chocolate and place on parchment paper. Allow the chocolate to fully set before stacking. I place my dipped cookies on a tray and refrigerate them for about 30 minutes to firm the chocolate coating.
Notes
- Ingredients Used:
- Flour: Gold Medal All Purpose Flour 10.5-11% protein
- Butter: President Unsalted European Butter 82% butterfat
- Dutch Cocoa Powder: Cacao Barry Plein Arome
- Molasses: Grandma’s Original Unsulphured
- Oven: This recipe was written for a conventional oven (top and bottom heat). For convection fan ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness 75% of the way through baking.
Weigh your flour: The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
OLD VERSION: This recipe is an updated version of a thicker cookie from 2018 with more of a cake like texture. If you loved the old version, the difference is only one egg and a little sugar. Ingredients listed below and follow the same instructions as above. 2018 Thicker Gingerbread Cookie Ingredients:
- 250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour, 11% protein, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 30 grams (⅓ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 170 grams (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 165 grams (¾ cup) light or dark brown sugar
- 85 grams (¼ cup) unsulphured molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Tried this recipe?Mention @twocupsflour or tag #twocupsflour!
This recipe was a 5 stars recipe for our family. I made this with my kids and it was easy to follow as well as absolutely delicious! The cookies came out perfect and we all agreed they were our new favorites. The only change we made was we used a dark chocolate melting wafer from the store for the dipping, and that was plenty easy for my kids to do. Thank you for a great cookies recipe!
Hi…Made these today and they are delicious…loaded with great holiday spice flavor! i’m just curious because at the beginning of this post you mentioned milk powder and then I didn’t see it anywhere in the recipe. Am I missing something?
Hi Goldie! Thanks for trying the recipe,love hearing that you enjoyed the spice flavor. Just a typo, I have tried them with and without milk powder to add more chew and overall flavor depth. You can leave it out though as the molasses is and brown sugar give plenty of moisture and chew on their own 🙂
I accidentally added the two eggs from the old recipe, but using the updated recipe (so had all brown sugar). This disappointingly resulted in puffy instead of chewy cookies. It seems you missed a step between 5 and 6 where the first half of dry ingredients must be added before the remaining, and that these must be chilled before you can form balls and roll in sugar. Sadly, wanted to love these, but not sure I like the flavor result either. Think I’ll stick to traditional gingerbread and cinnamon chocolate cookies.
Hi Ann, Adding the extra egg would definitely explain the puffy, more cake like texture, as this recipe is designed to be chewy with just one egg. There also isn’t a chilling step in either the current or original version of the recipe, the dough is mixed, scooped, rolled in sugar, and baked right away.
In step 6, when it says to add half of the dry ingredients at a time, it simply means adding the dry mixture in two parts until the dough comes together. If you ever decide to try the updated version as written, I’d love to hear what you think, it definitely results in a chewy chocolate gingerbread cookie. 🙂
Hi Jen! Would you be willing to share the recipe for the old version of these cookies? They have been holiday staple for my family for the last 6 years, and we would absolutely love to make them again! Thank you!
Hi Audrey! So glad to hear that you loved the recipe, comments are always so helpful to know 🙂 The ingredients are mostly the same except for one egg and a little sugar. I’ve listed them in the NOTES section of the recipe card. The Method is the same, as the current recipe. Happy Holidays and thanks for the note!
Hi, may I use honey instead of molasses?
You can use honey or maple syrup, the texture may change though.
just made these for a holiday cookie exchange! They are so light and fluffy and absolutely delicious. Definitely making again!
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I love these big soft cookies!! Enjoy!